Sweet Little Lies
by D. M. Evans
Summary: Much of his life had been built on lies


Title- Sweet Little Lies

Author- D M Evans

Disclaimer- Just playing with Arakawa's toys

Rating- FRT

Characters/Pairing- Roy, Riza

Timeline/Spoilers- post 108 so vague spoilers for all

Word Count- 819

Warning- none

Summary- Much of his life had been built on lies

Author's Note- thanks to SJ smith for the beta

X X X

There were days Roy felt his entire life was made of lies. While he remembered precious little about his parents, he did know his mother, Hui-Zhong, had been beautiful and probably not quite in the country legally, no matter what they told everyone else. Still, as one of the Xing emperors many nieces and not in favor in her own country, his mother knew how to keep her existence quiet and the past she claimed as hers, completely fabricated.

His father, just like Aunt Chris, came from a long line of intelligence gatherers. The Mustangs preferred to keep to the shadows, glad-handing those who wanted power. The one thing that wasn't a lie; the information they passed on to their clients. Still, his dad knew how to spin a web of untruths and never forget a detail.

Roy had no illusions that his bizarre childhood had shaped him into the equally unusual man he'd grown into. His foster mother had taught him so very well as he alternated his time between her and Master Hawkeye's homes. Sweet little lies gained him as much knowledge as his alchemy texts. Roy had learned to dig for the truth while looking like he was after nothing at all. A brush of the hand here, the cock of the hip there, he flirted like breathing. People talked to him, told him all sorts of things. Information could be bought for the price of a crooked smile and a sweet promise that meant nothing. His one sister by blood hadn't had the family taste for duplicity, going off on her own. She rarely spoke to him, especially after he became the hero of Ishbal. Roy didn't blame her. He was just as glad so few people knew that truth. It kept her safe.

He lied by omission. Master Hawkeye finally caught on to that, but his daughter took just a bit longer. He never enlightened people who thought he was stealing his men's girlfriends. Everyone thought he wasted his lunch hours following his dick around town, never once suspecting the sheer amount of information his 'sisters' were passing to him and vice versa. No one knew how powerful some of this information could make him had he wanted to use it. Other omissions did his lying for him as he never dispelled the ideas that he was a lay-about who never did his work or that he slept his way to the top; as far as the rumor mill was concerned, his sexuality was as liquid as a cat in a sunbeam. Roy didn't really care. Let them think he was lazy and preoccupied with dipping his wick; it allowed him to circulate almost completely unnoticed into places he had no right to be in.

Roy almost never lied to Riza, however. He rarely got away with it, even as practiced as he was. Riza, Aunt Chris and Maes always caught him when he tried to lie. His sister was just about as good at catching him. Roy tried to never have to practice his skill with his men, Edward being the exception. Roy hated lying to the young man, but Edward didn't like to be coddled. He was no thirteen year old boy, just ask him. Well, he _wasn't_ any more, but Roy still was in the habit of holding back certain things, trying to protect the brothers. They had been the lie he told to Bradley way back when that could have ended his own career had he been found out. Their sins could have ruined him. And in the end, protection aside, Roy knew he couldn't just tell Edward things. Elric had to find out for himself.

This all flashed in Roy's mind as he held his grandmother's ring. Under the watchful moon, he pulled Riza close. "The one thing I could never lie about is how I feel about you. You are the very best part of me. We'll have to lie about it to the world, but will you be my wife?"

A muffled yes and a tearful kiss was his answer. Roy slipped the glittering ring onto her finger. The hefty oval diamond was surrounded by concentric ovals of sapphires and more diamonds. It was probably a bigger ring than Riza would ever wear except on special occasions, even if regulations would allow her. It didn't change Roy's opinion that it looked beautiful on her finger.

"I'm a very flawed man. Are you sure about this?" He trailed a finger along the scar on her neck that nearly took Riza from him. He both hated and loved that scar.

"We were both young and innocent once. Time changes that. I think right now, faulted as you are, you suit me better than you ever have." She smiled at him.

He stole a kiss from those wonderful lips. Truth would always taste better than the sweetest of his lies.


End file.
